Tuesday, December 29, 2015

last BBT post for 2015 - Building Blocks Tuesday

Ah, the last Building Blocks post for the year....

One would think that I would have something new to share, to celebrate.  But indeed, I haven't been working on any blocks this week.  So instead, I will share a blast from the past, this modern maple block that I made for a bee mate.

Modern Maple block in Orange


These maple blocks are so easy and fun to make.  I have been wanting to make myself a quilt of them ever since, but never really got around to it.  Perhaps 2016 will be the year?  Or perhaps I will wise up and have my bee mates make me most of the blocks for a quilt.  Now that's a plan!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!  What are your plans?  Have you made any resolutions or intentions yet?


What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!


Thanks for reading,

Jen




Saturday, December 26, 2015

Happy Boxing Day and a sale

Hi everyone!  If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a lovely one.

Personally, I am barely recovered.  At some point on Christmas Eve, I determined that there was no way that everything was going to get done, and I just let it go.  I had to for my sanity.

Oh Christmas Tree


It turned out to be a good choice.   Lizzy didn't mind that I had 40 more inches of binding to go to finish her quilt.

binding Lizzy's quilt

I was able to finish it up last night after we got home from the in-laws, and she was able to sleep under it for Christmas.

Other things did not get finished.  I am still quilting Deb's mini.  Of course, I chose to quilt the crap out of it instead of something easy.  I am nearly finished, thank goodness!

Before I go, I wanted to let you know about two things going on today. First, on Twitter, there is a Boxing Day Sew In.  I'm not sure who the official hostess is, but it is fun to tweet a few pics or sentences about what you are working on, and add the hashtag #BDSI, then check out what the other twilters are doing today.

Secondly, there is still a huge sale going on at Craftsy.***  Today is the last day for great deals on classes, but it is also the first day that the supplies are on sale for a week.  The supplies turn out to be a great deal when they are on sale!  I always buy a few yards of Kona Cotton Solids.  I don't know if you have noticed, but the online prices for Kona have gone up by nearly a dollar a yard.  The sale price at Craftsy is pretty decent.  I've also picked up a few quilt kits in the past that were practically a steal!

I admit that I have been very lackadaisical about reporting all the sales this year, as I took a bit of a break from Craftsy myself.  But last week, I logged on to find a whole bunch of new interesting classes.  The one I purchased was the follow up to the first Jacquie Gering's class.  The new one is called "Next Steps With Your Walking Foot".  I am already excited to try out some of the new walking foot quilting patterns she demonstrates in her class!  There is also a Quilt as You Go class taught by Marti Michell that looks worth checking out.  There are also a handful of new free motion quilting classes that I may peruse today before the sale ends.

So, if you didn't quite get enough quilting things this holiday, perhaps you should treat yourself?  Or, if you are looking to improve your skills for the New Year, maybe a new class is the way to go!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get back to blogging!  I know many people have switched over to Instagram entirely, but I still like reading posts with more than one sentence.  Is it just me?


As always, thanks for reading!


Jen



***This post contains affiliate links.  If you PURCHASE something after clicking one of my links, I may be compensated.  However, my recommendations and opinions are my own, and I give those freely without compensation.


Craftsy





Thursday, December 24, 2015

Binding away - Building Blocks Tuesday

It has been a flurry of activity around here!

Not only have I had a team of painters in the house trying to finally slap some color on the walls, but I've been binding, and binding, and binding!

Binding in progress

There are several Christmas miracles in the final stages around here, but no blocks for this week.  How about you?


What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!


Thanks for reading,

Jen




Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Christmas miracles - Building Blocks Tuesday


Another NY Beauty in progress

I am not saying that I have my mojo back; rather, I've been forcing myself to spend a little time at my machine this past week.  I'm finally at the quilting stages of this NY Beauty Circle of Flying Geese mini for poor, patient, Deb, who has been a saint by waiting for me to finish this mini.  I'm almost done with the SID and trying to decide how I am going to quilt the rest of this one.  It will take a Christmas miracle to get it to her in time for the holiday, but I am going to try.

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!


Thanks for reading,

Jen





Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Another Velvet Star - Building Blocks Tuesday

Hello and welcome from Crazy Town (not to be confused with Funky Town).  December is always downright insane.  It almost takes the joy out of the holiday.

This week I am sharing the other star block that I made for Green in the We Be With It Bee.

Velvet star

This is the Velvet Star pattern that I came up with for a paper piecing class I taught over the summer.

Speaking of the We Bee With It Bee, sign ups for January - June are open for this bee and several others that are run by Mrs. Pickles at Mrs. Pickles Garden.  She has several bees that might fit you, including a bee just for our Canadian friends.  I've been in one group or another for a couple years now, and it is a great group of ladies.  Check it out.


What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!


Thanks for reading,

Jen







Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Another 8 Carat Star - Building Blocks Tuesday

I'm sorry for missing last week.  My quilting slump continues and I was busy with family in town for Thanksgiving.

By the way, thank you for all your advice about getting over my slump.  It seems the most logical thing to do is just to wait for it to pass, as it will likely do.

I have made something!  Here is one of the blocks I made for the We Bee With It Bee for November.  Green asked for any paper pieced star with a dark background and high contrast stars.  I'm not sure if I really accomplished the high contrast thing since I chose some higher value reds and yellows, but hopefully the colors themselves stand out against the dark grey.  What do you think?

8 Carat Star

This is the 8 Carat Star pattern that I came up with** for a paper piecing class I taught over the summer.  **By "came up with", I mean that I drew it up in EQ7 from scratch.  Given how easy it was to arrive at this pattern, I do not dare claim that I am the only one that could possibly come up with this arrangement.

And before I forget....Speaking of the We Bee With It Bee, sign ups for January - June are open for this bee and several others that are run by Mrs. Pickles at Mrs. Pickles Garden.  She has several bees that might fit you, including a bee just for our Canadian friends.  I've been in one group or another for a couple years now, and it is a great group of ladies.  Check it out.

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.


Quilter in the Closet

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr and Instagram pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!


Thanks for reading,

Jen